When do you start trolling for trout

[Rob]

I am itching to get the boat on the the lake.  I can have a line in the water 15 min after hooking the boat to my truck and I intend to take advantage of it this year.

Right now my lake (Cocolalla,  15 min south of Sandpoint) is frozen and there are ice fishermen on it.  I suspect the ice will break up and be gone in 4 weeks or so.  How soon would the trout start chasing lures? 

Is it based on water temp?  Amount of sunlight? 

I assume when the ice breaks up the water temps will be about 40 degrees. 

[7mmfan]

As soon as you can get on the lake, they'll be biting. Don't hesitate.

[Ridgeratt]

Pend Orielle shouldn't be hard water and you could drag a lure or two right now.

[Mfowl]

Ice out is a good time to fish! And +1 on the Pend Oreille comment. I'd be hitting that up like crazy if it was my back yard!

[Jake Dogfish]

I usually fish bait slow, or still fish until about May.

[Rob]

Great!  Have not made it out to Pend Oreille yet...  well once when my neighbor took me out after Kamloops.  Learning that lake is on my list for sure

[Stein]

I usually fish bait slow, or still fish until about May.

 

They won't go fast or far to chase something when the water is cold.  Slow everything down is what always worked for me.

[ironbuck]

  Ice off = fish on!

[gaddy]

Maybe troll the ice edges if available ? And not to deep ? I used to like needle fish but that is a faster troll speed.

[Rob]

Sounds like a slow flatfish might be a good choice

[Stein]

I like bait too or big streamer flies.  I always tried to give them a big juicy easy to catch meal.  Whole big night crawler was my go to once I gave up fly fishing.

[Limhangerslayer]

Sounds like a slow flatfish might be a good choice

not necessarily, we troll plugs for winter trout from 1.5 to 1.9, they’ll hit it hard!  Good luck

[Ridgeratt]

these work well. I fish them for kokanee in my local lake.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/174537991/kekeda-tackle-trolling-fly

[Henrydog]

I used to fishing Cocolalla a fair amount 20 years ago when my kid was little.  Not a super trout lake unless the state changed something but I have caught okay bows there with a full sinking line 8' leader and a brown leach pattern trolled as a slow as the boat would good in a S pattern.  Fish the north end early on SW winds push warmer water North.

[C-Money]

Needlefish spoons are amazing for trolling lake rainbows. Put some of Slammin Sams XXX scent on the spoon....

[Rob]

Thanks - I have noted the advice here and will give it a whirl once the ice is off.

They have definitely been stocking this lake for trout. 

Looks like they put in 60K last year, and about the same the year prior